Brain, Child treats motherhood as a subject worthy of literature. And in the best tradition of literature, it celebrates the diversity of mothers and their styles. Our essays and features address readers as thinking individuals, not just medicine- dispensing, food-fixing, boo-boo-kissing mommies. We think of it this way: When our mothers wanted to hash over the important stuff with their girlfriends, they’d say to us, “Honey, the grown-ups are talking.” Brain, Child is like that: the place where grown-ups are talking. Brain, Child cuts past a lot of the bull to get to the voices that are truest — not experts, but women who are or have been there. We gave Brain, Child the subtitle “The Magazine for Thinking Mothers,” but it could just as easily have been “Motherhood The Way It Really Is.” Our writers bring a down-to-earth perspective to traditional and not-so-traditional parenting subjects. And they’re willing to address the big questions — our evolving identities as mothers, for instance, or what we’re teaching the next generation.

What type of submissions are you looking for?:

Essays, short stories, memoir, and poetry related to the experience of mothering/parenting. We are looking for male/Dad perspectives and have a special issue forthcoming on parenting teens.

Tell us about upcoming events or contests:

We have a special issue coming in Spring 2013 for parents of tweens/teens. We are looking for essays, short stories, and poetry related to the experience of parenting through adolescence.